“I guess we should finish the tour?” Jack nervously suggested. “The royal family should be back soon.”
“Sure.” They started walking again. Sarah stopped staring at the stone structure before them. “Have we made a complete circle?”
He laughed, “I never could fool you. We exited through the east wing, went around the back, and we are going to reenter through the west wing. This statute is on each end of the palace.”
“Okay. Who is it?”
“Queen Magdalene, she was the first monarch for the House of Morian.”
“She was very beautiful.”
“Yes, she was.”
Jack opened the door for her. She looked around the area that lay before them. The walls where covered with paintings. “Who are these people?”
The first painting they came to was of a crowned man, dressed in all his finery. “This was King George, Rao’s father.” Across the hall was a picture of a woman in all of her royal attire. “This was Queen Margaret, Rao’s mother. You are staying in her quarters. You know,” he smiled. “You are the first person to sleep in there since the Queen Mum died.”
“Thank you makes make me feel safe.” She smirked.
“You don’t believe in ghosts do you?” He played.
“Yes as a matter of fact I do.”
The next painting they came to was of Juliah the night of her 22nd birthday party. Across from her was a painting of a man. Sarah couldn’t help but stare at it. He looked so happy. His broad shoulders and full chest couldn’t be hidden under his gray suit. “Who is that?” She asked. “He looks a lot like Orion.”
“But?”
She got right upon the painting examining it. “That is Orion.” She gasped.
“Shocked?” Orion was standing in the hall beside of them.
Jack bowed. “Is the week already up, sire?”
“Yes.” Orion answered dryly.
Orion now, was a shell of the man that was in the painting.
“When was this taken?” Sarah asked.
“Fifteen years ago.” He stood next to her admiring his former self. “I had just graduated from college. I miss him.” He sighed.
“How was your trip?” Sarah asked.
They started walking down the hall.
“Long.” He stumbled through his mind. He had rehearsed this question a hundred times over the past week. Somehow he had to ask her.
“What?” she asked.
Jack was confused. He knew he hadn’t heard Orion ask anything.
Orion stopped causing everyone else to stop. He took a deep breath. “I overhead Floria telling Paul that my illness was all in my head. Is that possible?”
“Yes it is possible. I have had two cases of this during my practice. For the patient, the mind thinks the body is ill when it’s not.”
“Could that be what’s happening to me?”
“In all honesty, I don’t know. If you want to, I will help you find out.”
They started walking again, without saying a word. Orion led them down one hallway after another. He was lost in thought.
She turned to Jack mouthing, “where are we going?”
He shrugged his shoulder.
Poetry & More 